Jun 7, 2017
Plastic sugar enters markets in Karnataka, probe ordered
June 6, 2017, 12:33 [IST]All that a family in Gadag wanted was a steaming cup of tea but what they were in for was a burnt mass of black residue. The culprit in the case, plastic mixed with sugar crystals. After plastic eggs and rice, plastic sugar has flooded markets in Karnataka. In a span of one week, two such incidents have been reported from Gadag and Tumkur.
"I added sugar to boiling water to make tea. I stepped out of the kitchen to take care of other errands but within minutes smoke started emanating from the kitchen, I rushed to see what had happened and I saw the vessel blackened with a mass stuck to the bottom. We checked the sugar and found that there were plastic crystals in it. We tested it multiple times and each time we added sugar to the water and brought it to a boil, particles would float and turn black," said a resident of Gadag who bore the brunt of plastic sugar.
The family has demanded that the sugar factory from where they bought the adulterated sugar be shut down. "What about the health of people? Sugar is an essential commodity and we use it every day. Why are the authorities mum over plastic being mixed in a commodity that is consumed by infants and seniors alike? We demand that the sugar factories be shut down and action initiated against those responsible for this," said an angry resident of Gadag.
A similar incident took place in Hassan of Karnataka a week ago. Sugar bought from a shop was adulterated with plastic crystals. Shocked consumers protested in front of the shop from where the adulterated sugar was bought. Karnataka Minister A Manju visited the spot and helped ease the situation after assuring action against the culprits.
Probe ordered
Taking cognizance of both incidents, the Karnataka government has sought a probe into the matter. The Food Safety Department has collected samples for verification while the Food and Civil Supplies department has ordered a probe to find out where and how the sugar was adulterated. "This looks like a massive racket. Plastic is being found in rice and sugar. We will look into the matter seriously. We have ordered a probe to find out where plastic was mixed with sugar if it was directly from the factory or from retail shop owners," said Karnataka's Food and Civil Supplies Minister, U T Khader.
Kuwait trying to mediate diplomatic rift, says Qatar Woman allegedly gang-raped, her infant thrown out of auto, dies Next President of India, Vice-President: Is it Sumitra Mahajan and Venkaiah Naidu Featured Posts Plastic crystals of various sizes were picked from sugar at a shop in Hassan much to the disbelief of consumers. Concerns have now been raised on public health and safety if these plastic-laden and adulterated food items continue to plague markets.
What we know about FSSAI’s Food Safety Display Boards?
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) puts in a lot of thought into the drafting and bringing into the picture the Gazettes which aim to reform our Food Industry towards providing healthy and safe products to the consumers.
To brief the turning point in food safety last year, FSSAI did come up with a brilliant strategy in August 2016, commemorating its decade of existence. Since then, FSSAI did bring about revolutionary changes by implementing many changes and additions in the regulations. Standardization of Camel Milk for trade, removal of zinc from the list of Toxins, standardization of food products with high salt, sugar, and Fats, regulations for e-commerce websites – these have carefully stepped up the much-needed food safety awareness.
Food Safety Display Boards – how many of you’ll know about them? You might have seen the FSSAI License number whenever you must have visited any food premise?
Or maybe not! This is due to the Food Business Owners may or may not ‘CLEARLY’ display the license number in the premise. It might be hung up on the wall somewhere, but the proof of safety should be visible to people.
Hence, Food Safety Display Boards.
Now, what is a Food Safety Display Board?
Food Safety Display Boards (FSDBs) are basic information providers that came into practice replacing the previous requirements which mandate the display of FSSAI Registration/license that is not clearly visible to the consumers.
What are the features of Food Safety Display Boards?
1. FSSAI License/Registration No.
2. Important Food Safety and Hygiene Practices
3. Consumer Feedback Details
Where are these Food Safety Display Boards placed?
These FSDBs are introduced at various food units which interact with consumers directly like retail stores, milk and dairy units, restaurants and cafes, vegetable and fruits retail shops, street food hawkers, meat sellers, etc.
Important points to be considered?
1. There are 6 FSDBs in the picture – For Meat shops, Milk units, Restaurants, Retails shops, Fruits and Vegetables’ retail units and Street Food.
2. The FSDBs displayed should be pertaining to the type of business involved.
3. The size of the FSDB should be A4 for FSSAI Registered Food Business and A3 for FSSAI Licensed Food Business.
4. One has to display a minimum of one FSDB in the premise. You can display more than one, should the place be big and one board isn’t visible to all from a certain place.
5. Make sure the content or the design on the FSDB does not get blurred over time. The material used to print one should be of a durable material.
6. Follow the diagram below for the use of FSDB –
(Source – FSSAI Concept Note)
The uses?
FSDBs are brought into the regulation citing the need to improve the perception of the consumers towards FSSAI License/Registration and the organization.
These FSDBs will not only help the consumers with the FSSAI License of the place or product but will also guide the customers and the food handlers about the food safety hygiene practices that will help both the ends of the food industry help improve the overall standard of the food industry. The feedback numbers provided at the bottom will help FSSAI gain insights about the ongoing food safety practices and help improvise.
That is an important feature of FSDB. You can provide your feedback on the number provided below each Food Safety Display Board through WhatsApp, SMS or feedback through the FSSAI App. The feedbacks will be processed by the apex body to help implement compliance within the system. These feedbacks will be shared with the FBOs as well.
You can download the Open Files by visiting the Website Here.
Source – FSSAI Website.
TN govt sends milk samples to Pune lab
Chennai: In the wake of state minister KT Rajenthra Balaji's charge that private firms in the state were adulterating milk with toxic chemicals, the Tamil Nadu government has sent samples to the Central Food Laboratory in Pune for a detailed analysis.
The referral laboratory for the region received four samples from the office of the commissioner for milk production and dairy development in Madhavaram on May 31, lab director Suhas Bakre said. "It will take two weeks for us to test and send the report to officials in the state. We will be testing the milk for fat content, chemicals and other substances. The results will be sent by June 20," he said.
In May, dairy development minister Rajenthra Bhalaji said his department suspected that carcinogenic substances were being added to milk by private manufacturers. "These chemicals are available freely in cities like Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore. In Chennai, these chemicals can be purchased for Rs 20 from Flower Bazaar. They are mixed with milk to increase shelf life," he said.
Although Bhalaji stated last month that the government had sent samples to the Pune lab, officials at the lab told TOI on May 28 that the last time they received samples from Tamil Nadu was in June 2016. A sachet of whole milk produced by a private firm was sent to the laboratory by the designated officer in Erode for testing "fat" content. "The sample failed the test and we sent the report to the officer concerned. There were no toxic chemicals in it," Bakre said. Three days later, the lab received samples from the state government.
An official in the dairy department, who refused to speak on record, said some milk samples were tested by Aavin. "We detected the presence of chemicals in it but we can't file cases or initiate action against the manufacturers because these samples were tested in our lab. Besides being a conflict of interest, the food safety rules don't permit us to initiate action until they are tested in a central lab," he said.
Manufacturers told to fortify food products
It would mean adding key vitamins and minerals to staple foods
In the wake of guidelines issued by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), the Food Safety Commissioner of Karnataka has directed manufacturers in the State to fortify all food products.
The commissioner, who met representatives of bulk manufacturers of wheat flour and edible oil on June 3, discussed the cost effectiveness and benefits of fortifying staple foods for consumers and manufacturers.
Fortification is the addition of key vitamins and minerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, and vitamin A and D to staple foods such as rice, milk and salt to improve their nutritional content. These nutrients may or may not have been originally present in the food before processing.
Representatives of Krishna Flour Mills, Sri Venugopal Flour Mills, Karnataka Oil Seeds Federation, Mother Dairy (KMF), Nilgiri Dairy Farm Pvt. Ltd., Pankaj Dairy Farm, Sri Krishna milk dairy farm, Britannia Industries, Variar Bakery, Jwalamala Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd., Sumathi Agro Industries, and Heritage Foods participated in the meeting.
India has a high burden of micronutrient deficiencies. While 70% of pre-school children suffer from anaemia caused by Iron deficiency, 57% have subclinical vitamin A deficiency. Neural Tube Defects are the most common congenital malformation with an incidence that varies between 0.5-8/1,000 births.
Expired items disposed
Senapati: The Food Safety and Standards Wing, Senapati district disposed seized unlicensed and unhealthy Myanmar products worth Rs 5 lakh near old district hospital today at 3 pm.
The seized products were burned in the presence of DO (FSSA) L Jonny, CMO Dr Loli Mao, NPO vice-president Adakho Mao, FSO S Pfokhrehrii, OC of Senapati police station S Hepuni Mao. The items were seized on June 2 at Senapati police check post. 10 bags of sunflower seeds, 100 boxes of tin-fish, 5 bags of Emily and 20 bags of Mikko were seized for violating the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Jun 6, 2017
Noida will not give nod for meat shops in slums
The Noida authority has written to the district magistrate to resolve the issue at their level
Meat sellers can only be issued licences if the shops are in areas where municipal services are provided
A group of meat sellers on Monday met Noida authority’s deputy chief executive officer (DCEO) Saumya Srivastava seeking his help in obtaining licences for meat shops in slum areas.
As per norms, the food safety and drug administration (FSDA) can issue a licence only if the applicant produces before them all required documents, including a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Noida authority.
However, the authority made it clear to the meat sellers that it will only issue NOC for a shop if it fulfils all requirements and is located on land where municipal services are provided.
“We can issue NOC to a shop if it is located in a sector or a village. We will not be able to issue NOC for a meat shop located in a slum because we do not provide municipal services there,” said the DCEO.
Following the meat sellers’ demand, the authority has written to the Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate (DM) regarding the issue.
“I have written to the district administration and also spoken to the additional DM. We have requested them to deal with licence applications in slums at their own level on the basis of merits or demerits of the applications. The Noida authority will not issue NOCs, so the administration will exercise its powers and take a call as per law,” said Srivastava.
Among the norms set by the authority for an NOC, the shop will have to be located 100 metres from a place of worship, 50 metres from a residential area and have access to municipal facilities.
“We will issue NOC for five shops in a village if the population is less than 4,000 and 10 shops if the population is more than that. In urban areas, licence will be issued to a meat shop only if it was originally allotted for this purpose and is located in a commercial area,” said Raghunandan Singh Yadav, senior project engineer of the Noida authority.
Canned water under threat
Authorities accuse a few packaged water units of flouting norms to draw groundwater; manufacturers flag clearance certificates.
Chennai:
Though the Tamil Nadu packaged drinking water manufacturers have withdrawn their strike, authorities are said to be at loggerheads with them over depleting groundwater level, putting the availability of canned drinking water in question in the long run.
While the association members say that a total of 350 packaged drinking water manufacturing units operate in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, sources claim that around 200 illegal units are also run by people with political clout. However, V Murali, president of Greater Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers Association, told DTNext that all the units have obtained the environmental clearance apart from certificates from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
“In such a condition, why should the concerned officials pressurise us to close the units. Lakhs of people rely on canned water not only in the city, but across the state. Is curbing the availablity of a life essential to save groundwater level justified?” he asks. While the officials claim that they have only instructed some units that overexploit groundwater and flout the norms to abide by, the association members accuse officials of being discriminatory and claim that they are being threatened to shut down the units without a valid reason.
According to Murali, manufacturers draw water of about 300 million litres a day from 350 units in Chennai region. “Though we have necessary licences from all the departments, sometimes the officials try to close down units for reasons best known to them,” he says. However, Shankar, Chief Engineer of Ground and Surface Water Resources Wing, justifies the department’s action.
“There are some norms, which the drinking water manufactureres do not conform to. We have been periodically instructing such units not to overexploit groundwater beyond prescribed levels and it is monitored through a water meter. But some companies flout the rules and we along with Revenue officials insist the manufacturers to close such units,” he elaborates. He also adds that the PWD is preparing to monitor the units in Chennai region and would ask the manufacturers without a licence not to tap water anymore.
Shankar says the groundwater level can be maintained if such units located near lakes and rivers without licences are closed. R Kathiravan, Designated Officer, FSSAI, Chennai, says that there are 17 packaged water manufacturing units in the city alone. “We regularly monitor them and if we find the water to be unfit for consumption, we immediately ask the manufacturers to stop processing. After tapping the water, the manufacturers should do the purification process promptly. Some companies would not maintain the equipment properly and in such a scenario there is a possibility for water contamination. So, the manufacturers should be careful during the entire process of purification,” he says.
Kathiravan adds that regular inspections are conducted to check potability of canned water.
WATER COUNTS
7 to 10 lakh cans of water are supplied to Chennai households on a daily basis
Total number of units in Chennai region: 350
50% of drawn water goes waste in the purification
No of illegal unit: 200
Milk impure
The article on the adulteration of milk (‘Being’ page – “The milk you drink could be laced with detergents”, June 4) is a matter of concern. One only hopes that the random milk samples tested in Delhi did not include samples supplied by government-run dairies. Milk remains the most vital nutritional food of the nation, especially for growing children, and there can be no compromise on its purity and safety standards. The government must conduct nationwide sample tests at all milk producing units in coordination with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the respective State governments. In an environment where we are already being slow poisoned by air and water pollution, chemicals in vegetables and food items, adulterated milk should not be allowed to sneak in as an additional toxin. There needs to be another pure and healthy white revolution.
A. Mohan, Chennai
It is a common knowledge that milk vendors often add water to the milk they supply to households. Adding water to milk — a means of bridging the gap between supply and demand — can be tolerated as it is harmless. But the extent to which the adulteration of milk has been found in the study conducted in Delhi shows that the health authorities concerned could be hand-in-glove with milk suppliers. They deserve exemplary punishment. The adulteration of milk or for that matter any food item should not be permitted.
A. Jainulabdeen, Chennai
Jun 5, 2017
Chennai is heavily dependent on packaged water – what happens when the supply stops?
A crackdown by revenue officials on Chennai’s packaged water manufacturing units triggered a strike by 200 plants.
An intense drought, such as the one prevailing over Tamil Nadu this year, has raised major concerns about the steady supply of drinking water among the rural and urban poor. But the more affluent households of Chennai rarely feel the impact, with a 20-litre plastic can of water delivered regularly to their doorstep.
The plastic container eliminates the need to stand for hours in line in front of a public tap with erratic water supply or an infrequent water tanker. Thousands of packaged water containers travel long distances from small villages in neighbouring districts all the way to Chennai, to quench the thirst of urban dwellers.
But a large scale strike by packaged drinking water manufacturing units around Chennai in the last week of May shook the water can consumers out of their complacency. On May 28, over 200 licensed packaged water manufacturing plants shut down in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts, and the next day, 100 more plants in Kancheepuram threatened to strike. Several residents heavily dependent on packaged water scrambled to stock up cans from distributors.
Though short-lived, the strike suggested that the regular supply of water cans could no longer be taken for granted.
Water strike
There were two reasons for the strike. The first was in protest against the new Goods and Services Tax rules that levy 18% tax on packaged water. The second, was drought. Citing plunging groundwater levels in various taluks of Thiruvallur district, local revenue officials issued notices to several water units to shut down and stop extracting water.
In a year where both the North East monsoon and the South West monsoon failed, Tamil Nadu is staring at a huge water crisis. “This is the worst drought of this century,” said Muruganandan, Tahsildar of Madhavaram district. “Local residents saw that water was dipping 4-5 metres below the usual level. After many resident welfare associations complained, we decided to send notices to many plants to shut down operations.”
In protest against this action by the authorities, the packaged water industry went on strike.
The Greater Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Association, which has 350 manufacturing plants in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts as members, held talks with the Chief Minister Palanisamy demanding to be exempted from the Goods and Services Tax and allowed to operate by the revenue officials.
“We met the chief minister and the finance minister,” said V Murali, president of Greater Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water Association. “They assured us that they would take up the matter about 18% taxation with the GST council.” With regard to the notices received from local officials to close down plants, Murali said that ministers assured them that they would “look into the matter and try to come to some amicable solution.”
Closure of plants
The issue is far from resolved. In Madhavaram taluk in Tiruvalur district, around 30 packaged water manufacturing plants had been shut down by the Tahsildar Muruganandan, who took it up as his mission to close plants that has not secured the required permissions from governmental authorities.
“These businessmen say they are licensed by showing Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and Indian Standard Institute certification,” said Muruganandan. “But they actually have to get consent from the Pollution Control Board for extracting water here.”
According to Muruganandan, Madhavaram was an area with plentiful groundwater until the population grew ten-fold over the following years, and with drinking water manufacturers taking advantage of the naturally occurring bountiful water levels.
“In most cases, the plants extract more water than they are supposed to in order to earn profits,” said a senior revenue official in Chennai who wished to remain anonymous.
One of the plants shut down was that of Vadivel Murugan’s, the owner of Yoga Packaged Drinking Water. Murugan ran a small scale plant for the past 15 years, employing around 20 people. He delivered around a 1000-2000 cans a day at an average a price of Rs 20 per can to suppliers or directly to households, hotels or companies.
“It is a very difficult business,” said Murugan. “People think it is very easy since ground water is free. But we have to pay almost one lakh a year for the certification by the Bureau of Indian Standards.”
High dependence
The bottled water industry began growing at a rapid pace almost two decades ago, and in an organised manner since 2002, said V Murali of the manufacturer’s association. On the outskirts of Chennai, several manufacturing units came up in strategically located areas with high water levels and numerous lakes. The whole industry also gives jobs to thousands of transporters, middlemen suppliers and door-to-door delivery.
“Almost everyone in the city now depends on packaged water for drinking,” said Murali. “Even the few people who depend on corporation water for drinking are moving towards packaged water for better quality.”
But it is undoubtedly plagued with problems as well. For one, the cost of securing the necessary licences is high. Second, dipping groundwater levels in times of drought also slow down business for these companies. But one of the biggest problems posed is frequent altercations with local residents and farmers using underground water for agriculture.
But the manufacturers argue that since they are providing an essential service for people, they should be allowed to use the groundwater. “We are using the water only to provide for drinking purposes,” said A Shakespeare of the manufacturer’s association. “If you don’t use it for drinking purposes, what else will you use it for? Lakhs of people depend on us for water.”
Training For Food Safety Supervisors Held
He was speaking after inaugurating a training programme for Food Safety Supervisors organised by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and CII Foundation as part of its Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan, at a private hotel in city on Friday.
He said that 50 percent of Indian consumer base is below 30 years. The food processing industry contributes around 14 percent of manufacturing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 13 percent of India’s exports and six percent of total industrial investment. Food processing sectors have the potential to attract as much as US $33 billion of investment over the next 10 years and also to generate employment of nine million person-days.
India already has all the requirements for a head-start in the food-processing industry. Especially, Mysuru is well placed for this sector as the basic materials such as food grains, pulses, vegetables, meat and fish can be sourced locally, he said and added that the presence of prominent R and D institutions like CFTRI and DFRL is an important unique selling propositions for the medium, small and micro enterprises, to explore newer products and technologies.
“As a consumer I expect and demand safe, good quality food. Successful domestic and exports depends on these factors. It is very critical that food industry meet their food safety and quality responsibilities by implementing quality assurance systems along the food production chain. This can be achieved with good manufacturing practices, good hygienic practices etc,” he said.
CII, Mysuru Chairman Arjun Ranga, Head V.M. Mouli and Senior Consultant Dr. K.N. Shasikant, Food Safety and Quality of CII Food and Agriculture Centre of Excellence and a national resource person of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, New Delhi, were present. Nearly 30 people from various food industries are participating in the one-day training programme.
Jun 4, 2017
Unsafe practices: fine imposed on erring hoteliers
The Collector has called for serving food in hotels and roadside eateries on banana leaves and plates made of arecanut leaves.
The Food Safety Department has registered as many as 288 cases of adopting unsafe practices while marketing food products in the district in the last five years and a fine of Rs. 36 lakh was collected from the erring hoteliers, said V. Samapth, District Collector.
The Food Safety Department has issued licence to 28,000 people for running hotels and eateries.
The people involved in this industry who have not registered their concerns with the department and not got proper licence should do the same with immediate effect, the Collector said while speaking at a meeting to create awareness on the food safety norms and the consumer rights held at the Collectorate on Friday.
The department booked 288 cases of practising unsafe food production/distribution methods. In 48 cases, a total fine of Rs. 36 lakh was slapped on the erring concerns and the penalty collected.
The Collector called upon the hoteliers, roadside eateries, tea stalls and the bakeries to shun using plastic bags, newspapers and other materials for packing food articles, as they proved harmful to the health of the consumers.
The use of newspapers for wrapping and packing food items, a common practice by street vendors, posed a health hazard.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has restricted the use of newspapers as packaging material stating that the consumption of food wrapped newspapers was injurious to health. The chemicals in newspaper ink contained harmful colours, pigments, additives and preservatives.
They should take steps for serving the food on the banana leaves and the plates made of arecanut leaves. The food items should also be packed only using the banana, arecanut and teak leaves, he said.
He warned the hoteliers with stringent action, if found violating government norms.
T. Anuradha, Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, and other officials participated in the meeting.
Petition submitted
The members of the Salem Ilaignar Kuzhu has urged the district administration to direct the owners of hotels and eateries to supply food in banana leaves instead of serving the same in plastic and butter papers.
The members, holding banana leaves, presented a petition in this regard to the District Collector V. Sampath during the public grievances redressal day meeting recently. They also displayed banners with the slogans “Let us use banana leaves and eradicate plastic materials”.
They said, of late, in many vegetarian hotels and roadside eateries food is served in plastic materials, instead of banana leaves. Using plastic materials will prove harmful to health.
Food is served even in ‘Amma Unavagams’ in plastic materials.
They urged the Collector to slap a ban on using plastic materials for serving food in the hotels and eateries and direct them to serve the food only in banana leaves.
Mr. Sampath forwarded the petition to T. Anuradha, Designated Officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, to initiate appropriate action.
The milk you drink may be laced with detergents
Glass full Adulterated milk is linked to a range of health hazards, according to the study.
Gap between milk production and demand is what incentivises adulteration
India may be the largest producer of milk in the world but is the milk really safe? A study which analysed samples in Delhi found that it contained “harmful adulterants”, the most common among them being starch, chlorine, hydrated lime, sodium carbonate, formalin and ammonium sulphate. Milk producers are known to use these substances to scrimp on milk portions and prepare “synthetic milk” by mixing urea, caustic soda, refined oil and common detergents.
Adulterated milk is linked to a range of health hazards which include gastrointestinal disorders, renal and skin diseases, eye and heart problems, and cancer, according to the study which will be published later this month in the peer-reviewed Current Science.
Results of study
For their study, the researchers, led by Brototi Roy and colleagues at Maitreyi College in Delhi, randomly collected 75 milk samples (packaged and unpackaged) from different regions of Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad. These were tested for adulterants such as neutralisers, skimmed milk powder, urea, detergents and ammonium sulphate.
The study found that all the milk samples were adulterated with neutralisers. These are substances added to prevent curdling and increase the shelf life of milk. They could be added in the form of caustic soda, sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate. Packaged milk, that now forms a significant chunk of the milk delivered to homes, was found to contain a higher amount of neutralisers, solid milk products and urea. A higher proportion of unpackaged milk samples contained detergents and ammonium sulphate.
Milk adulterated with detergents is known to cause food poisoning and gastrointestinal complications. In addition, some detergents contained dioxane, a carcinogenic agent. The concentration of urea in natural milk ranges from 0.2 to 0.7 g/l whereas adulterated milk contains almost 20 times its natural concentration and stresses the kidney to the point of renal failure.
It is also reported to weaken the eyesight and trigger headaches and diarrhoea in children. In excessive quantities, ammonium sulphate can lead to coronary disease, gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Demand is the catalyst
Even though a majority of Indians are lactose intolerant — i.e. they lack the gene that allows milk to be digested beyond childhood — the consumption of milk and dairy products in India outstrips milk production.
At roughly 160 million tonnes annually, India accounts for a fifth of world production. This is primarily due to the overwhelming popularity of milk in north and north-west India. North-eastern States such as Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur have reduced milk consumption, according to the National Sample Survey Office. The discrepancy between production and demand incentivises adulteration.
Earlier investigations, similar to the Delhi study, have also found several instances of adulteration in other parts of the country. A 2012 report by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India said that 68.4% of samples from across the country were found contaminated with various adulterants and fell below required milk quality standards. The study tested samples from States and Union Territories and found that barring Goa and Puducherry, all States had a significant fraction of their milk adulterated. At the other end, all the samples tested in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Mizoram were completely adulterated. Of these, 33.4% of packaged milk and 66.6% of unpackaged milk sold by milkmen were adulterated.
THAT WATER POUCH MIGHT GIVE YOU A STOMACH ACHE
Can cause gastro problems: docs
According to AMC Food Inspector Rakesh Ghame the samples were collected from packaged drinking water units and the water at some of these units was substandard, though not unsafe. “Substandard quality water is relatively safe to drink; however, hygiene is not maintained while packaging the water. Around 98 per cent substandard water samples show aerobic microbial activity whereas around 2 per cent per cent show E. Coli.” AMC Lab Technician Atul Soni said, “The packaging units do not take care of hygiene and as a result, aerobic microbial activity is seen in the water which can later cause gastrointestinal problems. E. Coli on the other hand results in food poisoning.” Director of Indian Institute of Public Health, Dr Dilip Mavalankar, said, “The bacteria and the virus if ingested, can cause digestive problems, nausea and other health problems. Both pathogens are dangerous as it can cause cholera, jaundice and other waterborne diseases and can cause an outbreak.”
How do we identify unsafe water: Amdavadis
Substandard packaged water remains a matter of concern for Amdavadis. “The water looks clean, tastes clean. How can we know if the water is contaminated,” asks city-based engineer Nirav Raval who was shocked to hear the results of the test. Entrepreneur Jaimin Gondaliya who has to travel extensively for work and prefers to buy water pouches instead of bottles added, “I buy pouches to avoid wastage. With packaged water, we assume it is hygienic and safe. But now that I know of the test results, it seems I should stick to carrying boiled water from home with me.” He further added that the units that do not follow strict code of hygiene should be penalized.
‘Strong immune system’
However, there are also people who feel that these results are no big deal. Shagun Bhat, student of Calorx Teachers’ University told Mirror, “Despite being a health enthusiast, I regularly drink water from pouches. I have never fallen ill. Yes, once a water pouch I bought tasted strange. I just threw it away and bought a new one. I guess I have a strong immune system” Theatre actor Kailash Shahdadpuri who is a frequent traveller depends on the water pouches, irrespective of where he is. “I often drink water outside, be it from packaged bottles or pouches as they are convenient. I have never faced any health issues.” NIFT student Trishla Lakhani meanwhile, nips the issue in the bud. “I make it a point to carry a water bottle from home and only in rare cases do I buy packaged bottled water. I never go for water pouches as I don’t trust the quality.”
Fine ranges from Rs 5K to Rs 2 L, say AMC officials
According to Ghame, the packaging units packaging substandard water are fined and action taken against them under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Depending on the quality of water, AMC levies fines in the range of Rs 2,000 to Rs 5 lakh. “However, in the last three years none of the water bottling plants has been fined as the case against them is pending in the district collectorate office,” said Ghame.
Certifications required for organic products
With multiple research studies recommending the use of organic products, people are increasingly becoming aware towards its benefits and harmful effects of non-organic contenders.
However, while buying an organic product from a store, you must ensure that the label of the product carries the certifications required for organic products. As an end consumer, the certification carries a great deal of significance in informing you about the credibility of the product you invest in.
Just labelling the product as ‘organic’ or ‘100% organic doesn’t verify the genius of the products contained therein. Besides, the farmers engaged in cultivation of organic products are benefitted by these mandatory certifications for organic products.
Becoming a certified organic farmer helps him in accessing the local and international markets easily. He receives his due share in the revenue generated from organic farming and thus supports the local economy.
Though every country has its own process of certification, the following certifications are mandatory for organic products:
USDA Organic
The USDA organic certification verifies that the organic products adhere to the regulations, requirement and specifications recommended by United states Department of Agriculture.
Being the most comprehensive and demanding system of certification, it covers a wide range of detailed monitoring and control measures.
SGS GMP certification
SGS GMP (Good manufacturing practices) certification verifies that all measures are being taken to ensure an effective food safety program. It addresses the issues of hygiene at every level of the manufacturing process, including the premises and equipment, primary production, packaging, warehousing, distribution, pest control and waste management, as well as routine personal hygiene of the staff involved.
SGS HACCP certification
Hazard analysis and critical points (HACCP) certification ensures that the standards of WHO (World Health Organization) are met during management of food safety and hygiene.
It is an accredited registration scheme for assessing the operational status and performance of the organizations regarding safety of foodstuffs. Organizations that successfully complete this assessment process are given HACCP certificate and registration, ensuring the consumers, retailers, and government authorities to have justified confidence in the way that organization controls food safety and food hygiene.
SGS ISO 9001: 2008
ISO Certification is the most essential and pre- requisite for organic products worldwide. There is no better guarantee than ISO Certification in earning the buyer’s confidence and recognition for the product, internationally.
ISO standards ensure features like quality, ecology, safety, economy, reliability, compatibility, inter-operability, efficiency and effectiveness of the product.
It is responsible for spreading awareness about the product, share technical advances in its manufacture, and the management practices; thus facilitating business.
ISO standards provide practical solutions to achieve benefits in every sector of business, industry and technology, and for all three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, environmental and social.
EU Organic Certification
The EU organic certification is a guarantee for the product in compliance with the common European organic food standards. The certification can ensure the consumers that at least 95% of the product’s ingredients have been organically produced.
Moreover, the product complies with the rules of the official inspection scheme, is directly delivered from the producer or the vendor bearing his name and the name or code of the inspection body.
NPOP (National Program for Organic Production) India Organic
The standards for organic production in India and the organic logo are governed by APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development authority), which provides national standards for organic products through a National Accreditation Policy and Programme.
NPOP aims to provide the means for evaluation of certification programmes for organic products according to the international standards. Further, it strives to encourage organic farming in India.
An organic website may not carry all these certifications at once, however, any of these is the hallmark of purity of organic products.
Only 9 employees on job to test food items J&K consumes
90 of sanctioned 200 posts in JK Food Control Organisation vacant; it took department 3 months to warn public about bad quality of pulses in market recently
Only a fraction of food items in the markets of the Valley is tested for quality and adulteration currently because the Drug and Food Control Organisation is working at nearly half its staff strength.
Documents accessed by Greater Kashmir reveal the food wing of the Organisation has a sanctioned strength of 202 posts. But 90 of these are vacant, including the important posts of food analysts (FAs) and food safety officers (FSOs).
Three of the four posts of FAs and all six positions of assistant food analysts are vacant. A food analyst supervises food quality tests and also decides on what tests to be carried out and also their timing.
There is a single laboratory technician for the entire state against the sanctioned eight posts.
Currently, all quality tests for both Kashmir and Jammu divisions is carried out by nine employees—1 food analyst, 1 senior lab technician, 1 lab technician, 2 lab assistants and 4 lab attendants—at the two food testing laboratories, Patoli (Jammu) and Dalgate (Srinagar).
The situation in the field is no better. As many as 36 posts of Food Safety Officers, who are tasked with market checks and lifting food samples for testing besides other activities, have also been lying vacant. Hence, markets largely go unchecked.
At the higher level, the post of Commissioner Food Safety and two posts of Assistant Commissioner Food Safety (ACFS) too haven’t been filled for more than a year now, though the ACFS posts were advertised by the Public Service Commission in April last year.
The charge of Commissioner Food Safety has been given as an additional task to Commissioner Health and Medical Education.
In March last year, Greater Kashmir had carried a series of reports about the status of food safety in Kashmir, which prompted the High Court to take Suo-Moto cognizance of the issue concerning public health. Hearing the case, on May 24 this year, the Court directed the government to fully equip food testing laboratories and provide manpower to mobile testing vans in the state.
The division bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey also directed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to depute a qualified person to these laboratories to find out whether they fulfill the requirements under Food Safety and Standards Act.
Although, following the High Court intervention, the government allotted funds to the department and ordered procurement of advanced equipments for food testing and quality control, the shortage of the manpower has defeated the purpose.
The official said orders for procurement of machines worth Rs 6.75 crores have already been placed through J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited.
“But the shortage of manpower is defeating the entire initiative,” said the official.
During the financial year 2016-17, about 1485 samples of food items were lifted in Kashmir division (including Ladakh) and reports of 1311 samples were furnished. Of these, 254 samples were found sub-standard.
Last week, the organization issued advisory regarding “unsafe” pulses available in market. These samples, as per officials, had been lifted in March 2017 when 4970 kilograms of pulses were seized from Srinagar markets.
Although, the Food Safety and Standards Act mandates that the test report be furnished within 15 days of the sample’s receipt at the lab, it took the department three months to prepare the report and issue the advisory because of the shortage of staff.
Controller Food and Drugs Lotika Khajuria said all vacant posts have been referred to recruiting agencies.
“The matter (of recruitment) is not in my jurisdiction,” she said.
Chairperson JK Service Selection Board Sarita Chauhan said her department “is ready” to carry out the recruitment.
“We are trying to find a suitable date for conducting the exams for these posts. As soon as we find a date that does not clash with any other exam we will notify it,” she said.
No licence coming, 600 meat shops back in business
LUCKNOW: They don't have the licence to operate but close to 600 meat shops in the city have started functioning illegally.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the licensing authority, no shop is even eligible for a licence; a major reason being that there is no slaughterhouse or source of raw meat in the city.
"Butchering of animals inside shops is prohibited so meat shop owners have to show their source. Since there is no slaughterhouse, they have no source to show. As a result, they are not eligible to even apply," said DR Mishra, designated officer of FSSAI. President of butchers' association Shafeen Qureshi said the online system was complicated and queries are not handled properly at the FSSAI office. "We have visited the FSSAI office half-a-dozen times. Sometimes, the officials say they don't have the format and sometimes they say they don't have the orders to accept applications. So we have stopped making the effort," he said.
The high court, on May 12, directed the government to commission new licences and renew old ones. It also observed it was the responsibility of the municipal corporation to construct a modern slaughterhouse.
However, LMC is neither streamlining the procedure to construct the proposed slaughterhouse nor is it planning a crackdown on meat shops functioning without licences. "A month ago, we carried out drives to shut down illegal meat shops. It is the duty of LMC to check shops operating without licences," said acting mayor Suresh Chandra Awasthi.
As to why there was no progress in the construction of a modern slaughterhouse, he said, "The pollution department has not provided an NOC." UP Pollution Control Board officials said the NOC had been rejected because of incomplete information. "LMC's application was rejected because it did not have requisite information. We even sent them a query asking for details but got no revert," said Kuldeep Mishra, regional head of the pollution control board.
Jun 3, 2017
Bengaluru milk is 'safe'; survey again in July
BENGALURU: There is no milk adulteration in Bengaluru: this is the conclusion of a survey conducted in six cities across Karnataka as part of a national study. Hard to believe the finding, the Karnataka health department has decided to repeat the exercise in July, this time with a scientific sampling process.
The survey, ordered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, concluded that Belagavi and other border cities consumed the most adulterated milk from both organized and unorganized sectors. Urea was the most common adulterant. As much as 75% of the milk samples collected in Belagavi was found to be adulterated, 40% in Hubballi-Dharwad and 18-20% in Mysuru. In Kalaburagi and Mangaluru, no sample was adulterated. The health department says the high adulteration in Belagavi is not surpris ing, but the result in Bengaluru is un likely . "Common sense says not even a hi-tech city like Bengaluru can have 100% safe milk," says health commissioner Subodh Yadav. "The other parameters, when verified with the milk samples, suggest it may well be true Belagavi has such a high quantity of adulterated milk. Border towns are vulnerable. Even independent reports suggest the same. However, (the finding that) samples suggesting no adulteration in the other three cities is hardly believable." The health department will start a second round of milk sample collection to test for adulteration. The previous round relied on random milk samples.
"We will put out a list of laboratories where people, too, can submit the samples if they find the milk suspicious," the commissioner said. The department will ask the Karnataka Milk Federation to submit their samples for testing at the district level. The testing is expected to continue till September.
Steps to check use of chemicals in fish
Minister promises action against erring vendors
Stringent action will be taken against those found selling fish tainted with chemicals in the market, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja has said.
The initiative launched by the Food Safety wing — Operation Sagar Rani — to ensure the safety of fish sold in markets has been intensified and is being implemented in three phases.
In the first phase, samples of fish and ice collected from trading centres will be sent for sample studies in the food safety labs and the lab of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology in Kochi. Legal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act will be initiated against those found selling fish with chemicals
In the second phase, awareness classes will be held for those in the fisheries sector
In the third phase, Food Safety and Standards Act licence/registration will be made mandatory for all fish retailers and those engaged in seafood trading.
Operation Sagar Rani is expected to bring about many healthy changes in the way fish was marketed in the State, Ms. Shylaja said.
‘Safety licence must for food operators’
Food safety licence is mandatory for any food business operator and if they fail to produce it during an inspection, they need to cough up a fine up to Rs. 5 lakh or imprisonment up to six months, said S. Chidambara, designated officer, Food Safety and Standards, District Health Department, Mysuru district.
Speaking during a training programme on hygienic and sanitary practices for food industry, organised by CII Mysuru here on Friday, he said that it is important for all food manufacturers to have good hygienic practice.
Though the Food Safety Act is effective from 2011 and food manufacturers were given time till August 2016, just 10% of them across the district have taken Food Safety licences.
From next month, the district Health Department will be taking out the drive across the district, he informed.
Arjun Ranga, chairman, CII Mysuru said, “The Indian food processing industry accounts for 32% per cent of the country’s total food market. It contributes around 14% of manufacturing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 13% of India’s exports and 6% of the total industrial investment.”
Over 50 food business operators from various firms from Mysuru took part in the programme.
20 things our food may contain
However, there are things that get into food, which could shock and disgust you enough to keep away from food altogether!
What will surprise you further is that many of these things are permitted by the Food Safety authorities, but within limits. Some substances, like certain toxins are naturally present in foods and so even if the food authorities wanted, they could not ban them totally.
Some of these 'foreign' substances might not be dangerous, but not even in your wildest imagination could you have thought that they could be on your plate, says Dr. Saurabh Arora, founder, Food Safety Helpline.com:
1. Ever wondered what rats do in your food?
Rodents scavenge for food and rummage in food stocks. In fact rodents could make stored foods their home if entry is not strictly prevented. Where there is laxity rodent hair, urine and droppings enter foods and from there to your plate. So watch out as your food could be biologically contaminated.
2. Snack with maggots
Next time you eat a burger or open sealed packs of foods or cans of mushrooms and tomatoes check carefully. It could be infested with maggots and insect eggs. Your cabbage and spinach could have caterpillar larvae in it. Believe it a not a limited number of maggots are permitted in food! says Dr Arora.
3. They live in drains, dustbins and in your food
Cockroaches, flies, insects of all kinds and even spiders and lizards can fall into food and are regarded as being highly dangerous if found in foods as they can carry bacteria from dustbins and drains to foods. The presence of rodents and insects is a food safety violation that could result in cancellation of license for food establishments.
4. Unseen dangers have roots
Moulds and fungus grow on foods when the temperature is warm and the rainy season finds these in abundance in sauces, jams, jellies, cooked and processed meats and poultry, cheese, bread and even fruit. Surface moulds can be washed or dusted off but that does not mean they have gone away completely. The fungus has roots that go deep into foods and these are not visible to the naked eye. Dishcloths, towels, sponges and mops if not kept clean spread moulds which land up in your food. Avoid anything smelling musty and stale and check vegetable and fruit stems to detect moulds.
5. What are cleaning agents doing in your food?
Cleaning agents like ammonia, bleach, dishwashing liquids and sanitizers can cause turmoil. People have had them with their coffee because the personnel forgot to rinse out the coffee machine thoroughly. Human error it could be but the carelessness in not rinsing and washing utensils or cooking surfaces thoroughly can lead to not only a bad taste but some stomach burning and even food poisoning. Cleaning agents need to be stored away from all food preparation areas and utensils. Cooking and food preparation surface areas must be cleaned, washed and sanitised only when food preparation is over and no food is outside. Such carelessness ruins reputations of the food establishments.
6. You could be ingesting heavy metals
Copper, brass, cadmium, lead, zinc mercury and even arsenic could be in your food. Metals leach into foods from the environment and from utensils used for cooking and serving food. Cracked or chipped pewter dishes, pottery dishes with glazed lead or those pretty enamelled dishes you cook and serve food in can leave lead and anatomy or cadmium in your foods and can even react with acidic foods like tomatoes, orange juice and pickles. Copper cooking utensils, buckets and tubs made from galvanised metals like zinc, and plumbing pipes also introduce metals into foods. Mercury and arsenic can reach foods through water and cadmium and lead from soil. All these heavy metals can cause toxicity when ingested and could even damage the liver, kidneys, central nervous system and blood, while mercury can cause sensory, visual and auditory problems also. Since chemicals cannot be seen adequate and regular food testing is required to ensure that foods are free from these elements at all points in the food chain.
7. Are you sure your milk products have no melamine?
Are you sure that the infant formula you are feeding your child with or the chocolate and frozen yogurt you are eating is free of melamine? So what is melamine and why is it used in foods? Melamine is synthetic material used to make plastic tableware and dishware, adhesives and even whiteboards. So what's it doing in your food? Water is often mixed into milk and such milk loses proteins and so to enhance the content of protein melamine is mixed in it. Products made from milk could have melamine which can damage the kidneys permanently.
8. Packaging infuses chemicals into food
Antimony and tin are used in packaging materials from where they can enter food. Foils, cans, pans and storage containers have chemicals which can be released from them into food at low levels and these, when are ingested, cause various health problems.
9. Human beings leave their own stamp on foods
While human hair found in food might not be hazardous as animal hair, but their presence in food indicates that the establishment lacks in good hygienic practices. Besides hair; nails, false nails, nail polish, pieces of jewellery, paper napkins and even cigarette butts can enter food and have been found, more often than anyone would like to admit. All personnel working in food service industry need to be made aware of these hazards and instructed and trained to follow good hygiene practices.
10. Mice and horse in your processed meat
Animal hair or chipped pieces of bone can be naturally present in meat food products. Perhaps what you may not be aware of is that whole mice can sometimes be churned into foods during processing. Unscrupulous manufacturers add horse and even rat meat to canned meat food products to cut costs, especially those imported, as some countries permit horse meat.
11. Tea with a taste of iron
Iron filings can enter tea when it is processed as particles escape into tea from the wear and tear of iron machinery. Iron remains in the body and though some iron is good for the body it could become dangerous and lead to heart problems, if you are a tea addict and drink copious amounts of it. The permissible limit for iron filings in tea in India is presently 150 mg per kilogram of tea.
12. Extraneous materials that can break your teeth
They say sticks and stones won't break bones but stones in food might break your pearly whites. You must have seen dirt, mud, manure, leaves, twigs and other filth and even insect excreta in some raw grains and other agricultural products. While some of these can be removed by picking them out what about insect excreta? When raw materials are processed into cereals, bakery products etc. do these remain or have they been cleaned before processing?
13. What's cooking, metal or glass?
Metal fragments from worn or chipped equipment and containers enter food products during processing. However, glass, plastic and metal pieces from glass tumblers, edges of badly opened tin cans and carelessly opened caps on foods and even shattered light bulbs fall into food without anyone realising it. Wood pieces from wooden surfaces or chopping boards slip into food too. Even a small piece of any of these substances can cause major problems if swallowed. Most establishments use shatterproof bulbs and open tin cans and bottles away from foods being cooked.
14. Sand and sawdust special
Have you felt that grit on your tongue? It could be sand in your salt, soup and coffee whitener. Sand is mixed in powdered foods as sand absorbs moisture and prevents clumping. Sawdust is used for the same reason in foods like shredded cheese. It also makes low-fat ice cream creamy and ready to drink milk shakes smooth.
15. From plants to your plate
Residues of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers used during the agricultural process easily find their way into foods. Pesticides may leave residues on the skins and surface of fruits and vegetables. Residues of pesticides and herbicides over a period of time can affect the central nervous system, respiratory and gastro intestinal system.
16. Of hormones and antibiotics
Livestock are given antibiotics and growth hormones in their feeds so they can remain healthy and grow bigger quickly. If you are a non-vegetarian you could find these growth hormones and antibiotics in the animal meats which you eat. Eating animal meats that contain antibiotic makes you resistant to antibiotics.
17. Are these food additives really permitted?
The fruit juice you enjoy so much could have sulphites. Sulphites are deliberately added to fruit juices, in some soft drinks, instant tea vinegar and wine to keep them tasting fresh. While preservatives and flavour enhancers improve the looks and taste of foods yet some of them could cause allergic reactions.
18. Carcinogens in your foods
Bright coloured foods look attractive but the truth is that synthetic dyes like Red 3 and Citrus Red 2, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40 and Yellow 6 are carcinogenic and could cause various kinds of cancer and allergic reactions too.
19. Gelatine: veg or non-veg
Some vegetarian foods like certain cereals could contain animal gelatine which is used as a binding agent so that the sugar sticks to the cereal. Read the labels minutely if you are a vegetarian or you could find you've just eaten animal bone and skin as some gelatine are made from these.
20. What does your chewing gum contain?
If you are one of those who loves to pop a chewing gum into your mouth then you could actually be eating a secretion from sheep wool called Lanolin. This additive is used in chewing gum because it has an oily texture which makes it easy to chew that gum.
61 cases of food safety violations reported in state: FSSAI
New Delhi, June 2: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) claims that Orissa has recorded 61 cases of food safety violations in 2015-16.
The FSSAI sources revealed this in response to an RTI application filed by this correspondent seeking data on a number of cases of food and beverage adulteration and misbranding detected in Orissa through the food safety offices and the action taken in this regard.
The regulator said that the latest data pertaining to 2016-17 is not available with the office. However, the data pertaining to 2015-16 claims that in Orissa a total of 211 food samples were tested for adulteration/misbranding of which 61 were found to be non-conforming with the Food Safety Standards Law.
The RTI reply from the department also claims that the state government had registered two such cases for prosecution while penalty was imposed on a single erring individual/firm.
However, the Orissa State Food Safety Commission seems to have worked out on less number of cases in 2015-16 as compared to 2014-15. As per information from FSSAI, in 2014-15 Orissa tested 544 samples and found 112 cases of adulteration/misbranding while in 2015-16 the department tested only 211 samples – only 39 per cent of the number of samples tested in the previous year.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, the Food Safety Commissioners in states can initiate prosecutions against the adulterators and people responsible for violation of the norms on the basis of findings by food inspectors, lab tests and recommendations of the designated officers.
However, a number of food safety officers’ posts are reportedly lying vacant in the state which makes the work of food testing and action against the guilty a tough task. The state also has dearth of food analysts who can check the food samples whether they are safe for human consumption.
Jun 2, 2017
Here's the unusual ingredient in chewing gum you didn't know about
It may just surprise you.
Chewing gum is typically composed of gum base, softeners, sweeteners and flavours.
New Delhi: Do you know that every time you're popping your favourite chewing gum in your mouth, you could actually be chewing a secretion from sheep's wool? Yes, that's right!
It has been found that chewing gum contains lanolin, which is a waxy secretion from the sebaceous glands of the skin of sheep. Its function is to make sheep's wool waterproof. For this reason, lanolin is generally an ingredient in skin products, which is fine. But what about using it as an ingredient in chewing gum?
The innocent-looking chewing gum might not be as innocuous as you thought, says, Dr Saurabh Arora, founder of Food Safety Helpline. Moreover, since lanolin is present as a component of chewing gum base (the rubbery substance that imparts the "chewable" characteristic to chewing gum), which is regarded as standardised, manufacturers do not need to reveal its individual ingredients.
What goes into making a chewing gum?
Chewing gum is typically composed of gum base, softeners, sweeteners and flavours. These are briefly discussed below.
* Gum Base: As indicated above, the gum base is rubbery in nature, and used to be derived from latex sap (called chicle) of the sapodilla tree. Other natural sources includegum Arabic, natural resin, food grade agar, Chiku, Ghatti, Jhingan, Khair etc.
However, nowadays, with the advent of rubber synthesis technology, synthetic rubber is primarily used for making the gum base. These include:
- Synthetic resin
- Polyvinyl acetate
- Polyethylene
- Glycerol esters of wood resin/gum resin
- Glycerol esters of partially hydrogenated wood/gum resin
As has been indicated above, there are many components of gum base (besides lanolin) that remain unknown to the consumer, since the manufacturers have no intention to declare them, in the absence of any strict regulations forcing them to do so.
* Softeners: As the name suggests, the primary function of this component is to maintain a "soft" consistency of the gum so that it is appealing to the consumers. This component helps to retain moisture and prevent the gum from hardening. The most common softeners are glycerin and vegetable oil.
* Sweeteners: As you have probably guessed, the most common sweetener is sugar. Sometimes, corn syrup is also used. For the health conscious, the following artificial sweeteners are also used:
- Saccharin sodium
- Sorbitol
- Mannitol
- Xylitol
- Maltitol
- Aspartame (methyl ester)
- Acesulfame potassium
- Sucralose
* Flavours: The flavor component of chewing gum is usually added last and imparts a long-lasting, refreshing, and zingy taste to the chewing gum. Some of the exciting flavours include the following:
- Mint flavoured chewing gums e.g. Wrigley's Spearmint, Wrigley's Doublemint; Eclipse Mints; Extra Mints etc.
- Fruit flavoured chewing gums e.g. Juicy Fruit
What are the various varieties of chewing gums?
Chewing gums come in a variety of shapes & sizes, attractive wrappers, flavours (already discussed) and a number of novel functions. Some chewing gums are advertised to impart a white sheen to the teeth (Orbit Whitening) or for giving kids some fun e.g. Bubble Gums (Hubba Bubba, Super Bazooka etc.). Other varieties have medical functions, and contain drugs impregnated in them. These include the following:
- Analgesic e.g. Aspirin
- Antacid e.g. Calcium carbonate
- To increase alertness e.g. Caffeine
- To prevent dental caries e.g. Xylitol or Chlorhexidine
- To give-up smoking e.g. Nicotine
- To provide nutrition e.g. Vitamin C
What do the regulatory agencies say?
The major international agency on food safety and standards is the Codex Alimentarius, which has fixed the maximum levels (in mg/kg) of various food additives in chewing gum. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulatory authority in India has fixed the chemical composition and maximal levels (in ppm) of the various food additives in chewing gum/bubble gum.
Are there any health hazards from chewing gums?
Yes there are! There are a number of health hazards that consumers should be aware of. These are briefly discussed below:
- Chewing Gum Can Trigger Temporo- Mandibular Joint Disorder (TMD): The temporo-mandibular joint is the joint that connects the jaw bone (mandible) with the temporal bone of the skull. Excessive chewing can cause differential contraction of the muscles, particularly if you chew more with one side of the mouth as opposed to the other. This can trigger TMD, which causes chronic pain, tightening and inflammation of the jaw muscles, ear aches, tooth aches, as well as migraine-type headaches.
Chewing Gum Can Cause Gastrointestinal Problems: Chewing gum increases the air intake into the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, which can cause abdominal cramps and bloating. It can also aggravate the condition in patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Peppermint flavored chewing gum can cause gastric acid reflux. Also, popping a chewing gum into the mouth immediately causes the brain to send signals to the digestive system to be prepared to expect food intake. As a result, saliva and other gastric juices, including gastric acid starts to be secreted. Since, there is no intake of food, this actually may compromise your ability to digest food due to lack of digestive juices, when you actually consume food. This can cause indigestion. Some chewing gum sweetened with artificial sweeteners can cause diarrhea.
- Chewing Gum Can Cause Tooth Decay: Consumption of chewing gum sweetened with sugar essentially coats your teeth with sugar, which leads to tooth decay. Besides tooth decay, dental erosion can also occur. Dental erosion occurs by cumulative decalcification, which slowly erodes the teeth. This can occur even in the presence of artificial sweeteners, since they contain acidic flavorings and preservatives that can erode the teeth, in spite of the presence of xylitol that fights cavities.
- Chewing Gum Can Release Mercury from Dental Fillings: Amalgamated dental fillings typically contain silver, mercury and tin. Chewing releases mercury vapors from the fillings, which can be rapidly absorbed into the blood. Although the amount of mercury is minute, you wouldn't want to contaminate your system with mercury, however small.
The foregoing discussion highlights the composition, varieties and health hazards of chewing gums. Although primarily the deleterious effects of chewing gums have been highlighted, it may be added that chewing a piece of gum after a meal could be a healthy habit - the saliva released helps to clean the teeth and the flavour can add freshness to the breath!
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